Blessings

I've been thinking a lot about the past year of my life.  Where we have been, the road we have traveled to reach these days of blessing.  Grief, loss, heartbreak, fear, tears, anger, unemployment, disappointment, pain, weakness....all along the road to gratitude, abundance, overwhelming love, life, laughter, job prosperity, hope...blessing.  Even though I did not enjoy the journey every day, I know without a doubt that my heart's ability and capacity to appreciate all that we have today, was carved and shaped by those seemingly endless days of struggle. My hard times exponentially increased my ability to enjoy the good ones.

What I have learned from this journey is that it is possible (although difficult) to both honor where you are on your journey- being present in your struggles and sorrows- while also seeking and looking hard for the blessing in the midst- finding reasons to be thankful.  By keeping a wide open heart, you open yourself to fully experiencing life. The good and the bad. 

I was listening to the radio the other day and I heard this song and its message just resounded with truth in my heart.   I know that God wants only the very best for my life. Sometimes the reality of what that looks like in my life feels impossible to understand (why did Luke have to die?) but part of faith is trusting that there is beauty in the suffering and purpose for everything that we experience.  We get to choose how we respond.  We have to have faith and believe that if we just open our eyes and our hearts, no matter how dark the days, if we continue pushing forward with love and gratitude, we cannot help but eventually discover the blessing...and it may look different than what we expect.

Hold on to hope, step forward in faith, push forward into what feels impossible...He promises there is purpose for where you are and what you are facing today. 

Here are the lyrics...

Laura Story - "Blessings" Lyrics

Send "Blessings" Ringtone to your Cell

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise